Water sports businesses at Changi, Pasir Ris beaches stop services as oil spill clean-up continues (2025)

SINGAPORE – Water sports businesses at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches have had to cancel scheduled services over the weekend of April 5 and April6, as oil spill clean-up operations continue.

Mr Berwin Tan, chief operating officer of Outdoor Adventures, which runs Kokomo Beach Club at Pasir Ris Beach, told The Straits Times on April 4 that it will remain closed over the weekend.

The club will not be running its kayaking or stand-up paddle-boarding classes, and has already informed affected students.

Besides concerns over customers’ safety, Mr Tan is also worried that the club’s kayaks will be damaged by the oil and washing them would be troublesome.

Mr Tan estimates that the club will lose about $500 to $600 in earnings over the weekend.

An oil patch was first spotted in the eastern Johor Strait off the north-eastern coast of Pulau Ubin at 7.10pm on April 3.

This came from an oil spill at the Langsat Terminal in Malaysia, located near the mouth of the Johor River.

The leak has since stopped, and the authorities in Singapore are carrying out clean-up operations at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has advised the public against swimming and other water activities at the two beaches until further notice.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NEA, National Parks Board, Singapore Food Agency and national water agency PUB said on the evening of April 4 that most of the clean-up is slated to be completed in the next few days.

At Changi Sailing Club, dinghy, or small boat, sailing lessons and boat-chartering services at Changi Beach have stopped as at April 4, and will remain suspended over the weekend.

This will affect about 20 to 30 people who have already signed up for the lessons, but their sessions will be postponed until the beach reopens for water activities, said a spokesperson for the club.

Mr Mohammad Nordin, director of kayak fishing tour provider Fish On, said he was annoyed by the oil spill as some of his customers may choose to cancel their tour bookings.

He has also had to adjust his kayak fishing tour routes, as a few possible starting points are at Changi and Pasir Ris beaches – the preferred locations for beginners or larger groups.

Mr Mohammad said he is worried that his livelihood would be affected by the oil spill, if the situation does not improve.

Beachgoers whom ST spoke to on the morning of April 4 were mostly unaware of the oil spill.

Mr Rajesh Mani was taking his nightly stroll along Changi Beach on April 3 at about 9pm when he caught a strong whiff of oil in the air and wondered where it came from.

Despite the area being “very smelly” with an odoursimilar to kerosene, the 34-year-old safety coordinator who lives nearby still returned to the beach on the morning of April 4 for his daily fix of exercise.

When ST visited Changi Beach at 9.30am on April 4, two groups of four to seven workers were seen shovelling contaminated sand along the section between Changi Beach carparks 6 and 7. The oil-soaked sand was then collected into rows of around 100 plastic bags that lined the beach.

There was a faint smell of oil, which could be seen on the sea surface along that stretch.

The entire waterfront area of Changi Beach was cordoned off, with signs put up to advise beachgoers to stay out of the water.

ST did not observe anyone entering the water at Changi Beach.

Around 9.50am, a patrol craft from the MPA, known as the MPA Guardian, was sighted on the water nearby. It is capable of conducting oil spill response operations.

At about 10.50am, a current buster system – used to contain oil spills – was spotted on the water near Changi Beach Carpark 6. This system is used to collect contaminated seawater and sieve oil out through a pump for collection.

Around 40 workers are involved in cleaning up Changi and Pasir Ris beaches, with 20 or so at each location, ST understands.

The authorities said that preventive measures, including the deployment of booms, have been put in place at coastal drains including Changi Creek, Sungei Tampines and Sungei Api Api, as well as Chek Jawa and around fish farms in the East Johor Strait.

They added that PUB has laid containment booms across the tidal gates at Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs as a precaution.

A person involved in the clean-up operation at Changi Beach, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said this clean-up will be easier than that for the major June 2024 spill, when more than 400 tonnes of oil leaked into Singapore’s waters.

He said the oil that landed on the beaches this time is less thick as well. This makes it easier to scoop the oily sand, as the oil stays on the surface and does not seep beneath it.

Most of the beachgoers interviewed were unfazed by the lingering smell of oil in the air and went about their daily exercise.

Mr Nicholas Toh, 46, was cycling along Changi Beach when he noticed that the waterfront areas were cordoned off.

The business owner did not know about the oil spill beforehand, and thought that the bags of oil-soaked sand he spotted on the beach were remnants from the previous major oil spill involving a damaged cargo tank at Pasir Panjang Terminal in June 2024.

Over at Pasir Ris Park, ST saw one person swimming in the waters at Area 3 at 8.55am on April 4.

When approached, he declined to be named, but said: “I did not see any signs and the water looks okay.”

Four people were also seen searching for mussels in the water.

ST spotted two signs in that area, by the carpark and beach entrance, telling people not to enter the water.

There were no signs of oil on the water surface at Area 3 of Pasir Ris Park, and the waterfront area was not cordoned off.

Meanwhile, at Area 1 of Pasir Ris Park, a clean-up operation was in progress.

About 18 workers were seen shovelling up sand stained with oil over a stretch of about 400m. By 10.54am, ST counted around 45 bags filled with oil-drenched sand.

Four stacks of sandbags lining the coastline in Area 1 also had oil stains on them. One of the sandbags along the walkway down to the beach was completely covered in oil.

There was no smell of oil in the air, but the seawater was murky. At around 10.50am, an MPA Guardian patrol craft was sighted on the water near the beach.

Other parkgoers who were there for their morning exercise were not affected by the oil spill.

Mr Deon Tan, who was exercising at the park, said he was unaware that an oil spill had occurred.

“Every few months, there is an oil spill. It’s such a frequent thing nowadays. I don’t really stop by the beach, so I didn’t notice anything,” the 48-year-old retired information technology system administrator said.

Another parkgoer David Devins, 50, noticed the signs that advised beachgoers to stay out of the water, but was not aware that it was linked to the oil spill.

“There is no sign that mentioned the oil leak,” the IT engineer said.

• Additional reporting by Elaine Lee

JoinST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.